Some pre-christmas AXA lock picking

It has been recently reported that some very common and popular models of AXA bicycle locks are trivial to open using a blank key, i.e. one that hasn't been shaped yet. You used to be able to get these keys for a few euro's at any locksmith or bike shop, but now that people are more aware of this issue it might be harder to get these blank keys.

Today I decided to try it myself. I didn't have a blank key however, so I tried a key from an SL9 lock on a "583 model" lock. And to my surprise: IT WORKED! This means that you can pick these 583 model locks using your existing AXA keys from a different lock!

I've made a small movie to prove this. Note that the key used is not a blank one.

I also tried picking the SL9 lock with the 583 key - this didn't work. Either you really need a blank key here or I just need to try harder.

But this means that if you have a model 583 AXA lock, you're totally screwed: most people carry keys with them that can open this lock with minimal effort.